Great interview. Somehow I never thought of my work exposed to overseas publishers. It’s good to know that there are other options if US publishers don’t want to take it.
It helps if you have an overseas element, however. My first novel, BLACK CHALK, was set half in Oxford, UK, and half in NYC, so there was a good reason why it might also appeal to British publishers already built into the plot.
Thank you. I was living in NYC, when I wrote it, and I was a student at Oxford, so it wasn't exactly an imaginative leap. However, I think that's a good example of "write what you know." It's just, that piece of advice shouldn't be taken too literally.
🎯 that’s a perfect example of “right what you know.“
Each one of us has unique experiences in our lives and if we can use them in our writing it helps us bring a knowledge and realism that other writers can’t do. Many times you were the only one that can write in exactly that way.
I have experience not only with martial arts, but with very intense sparring that resulted in lots of bruises, etc. I have also had broken bones of various sorts from numerous activities and accidents. I know what it feels like to try to move around with those broken bones, to limp along until I get help.
A major part of my work is trying to bring realism to the fights and combat in my epic fantasy, so that the reader feels and understands the pain, the challenge, what it’s like having broken ribs, etc.
and also extra cool, we have tools like YouTube. What is a fight like between a katana and a foil? Who wins that fight? who is at the advantage and who is at the disadvantage? I looked it up and I watched the battle. The guy with the foil won… But also maybe because he seemed to be just a little bit more skilled with his weapon than the other guy. Authors today have so many tools at our disposal to get that kind of reality and plug it into our stories.😎
Since you sold in the UK first, does that mean you did a UK book tour? Did the marketing and publicity there seem similar to the marketing and publicity plan you might have had in the US?
God, no. Unfamous authors should NEVER do book tours. You read my line about one person showing up being a GOOD version of the book event story, right?
About the number of characters and what they bring to the table.
In real life people often have a few or several freinds which aren't involved in their work, love life, disputes or whatever is happening to them. But in fiction it is easier if the main character has few freinds with a clear purpose in the story. Nancy Drew has two close female freinds and a boyfreind, her family is her father and his housekeeper. I remember her as a likeable woman whom should have a larger social circle, but that would have complicated things, that is likely also why she lack siblings, cousins and so on. I feel tempted to create a realistic social circle for my main characters, but that means lots of text about people whom don't to much or anything that contribute to the plot. Such friends are good to have in real life, but not in a story.
Great interview. Somehow I never thought of my work exposed to overseas publishers. It’s good to know that there are other options if US publishers don’t want to take it.
It helps if you have an overseas element, however. My first novel, BLACK CHALK, was set half in Oxford, UK, and half in NYC, so there was a good reason why it might also appeal to British publishers already built into the plot.
My epic fantasy takes place in mountains and a river Delta kind of like Vietnam, so I think the only barrier would be language.😁
Your split locations is pretty cool. I always liked in books and movies when it took them to different places around the world.
Thank you. I was living in NYC, when I wrote it, and I was a student at Oxford, so it wasn't exactly an imaginative leap. However, I think that's a good example of "write what you know." It's just, that piece of advice shouldn't be taken too literally.
🎯 that’s a perfect example of “right what you know.“
Each one of us has unique experiences in our lives and if we can use them in our writing it helps us bring a knowledge and realism that other writers can’t do. Many times you were the only one that can write in exactly that way.
I have experience not only with martial arts, but with very intense sparring that resulted in lots of bruises, etc. I have also had broken bones of various sorts from numerous activities and accidents. I know what it feels like to try to move around with those broken bones, to limp along until I get help.
A major part of my work is trying to bring realism to the fights and combat in my epic fantasy, so that the reader feels and understands the pain, the challenge, what it’s like having broken ribs, etc.
and also extra cool, we have tools like YouTube. What is a fight like between a katana and a foil? Who wins that fight? who is at the advantage and who is at the disadvantage? I looked it up and I watched the battle. The guy with the foil won… But also maybe because he seemed to be just a little bit more skilled with his weapon than the other guy. Authors today have so many tools at our disposal to get that kind of reality and plug it into our stories.😎
The best of luck with your work, Jason.
Since you sold in the UK first, does that mean you did a UK book tour? Did the marketing and publicity there seem similar to the marketing and publicity plan you might have had in the US?
God, no. Unfamous authors should NEVER do book tours. You read my line about one person showing up being a GOOD version of the book event story, right?
About the number of characters and what they bring to the table.
In real life people often have a few or several freinds which aren't involved in their work, love life, disputes or whatever is happening to them. But in fiction it is easier if the main character has few freinds with a clear purpose in the story. Nancy Drew has two close female freinds and a boyfreind, her family is her father and his housekeeper. I remember her as a likeable woman whom should have a larger social circle, but that would have complicated things, that is likely also why she lack siblings, cousins and so on. I feel tempted to create a realistic social circle for my main characters, but that means lots of text about people whom don't to much or anything that contribute to the plot. Such friends are good to have in real life, but not in a story.
Yes, a tight circle—but a bright circle. And in reality, most of us only know a handful of people worth writing about anyway!